This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by shiva shanker
The framework that promised to simplify everything just made my codebase a nightmare
TL;DR: After 4 years of React development and building 20+ production apps, I'm done. Here's why I switched to Svelte and never looked back.
The Breaking Point
Last month, I spent 6 hours debugging a "simple" form component. The issue? useState wasn't updating immediately. Classic React gotcha that still trips up seniors developers.
That's when it hit me: I was spending more time fighting React than actually building features.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Let me show you what switching from React to Svelte did for my latest project:
Bundle Size:
React + Redux: 847kb
Svelte: 23kb
Build Time:
React: 45 seconds
Svelte: 3 seconds
Lines of Code:
React: 2,847 lines
Svelte: 892 lines (same functionality)
That's 97% smaller bundles and 15x faster builds.
The Developer Experience Revolution
Before (React):
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
const [error, setError] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => {
setLoading(true);
fetchData()
.then(data => {
setCount(data.count);
setLoading(false);
})
.catch(err => {
setError(err.message);
setLoading(false);
});
}, []);
After (Svelte):
<script>
let count = 0;
let promise = fetchData();
</script>
{#await promise}
Loading...
{:then data}
{count = data.count}
{:catch error}
{error.message}
{/await}
The Svelte version is not just shorter — it's actually readable.
What React Got Wrong
1. The Virtual DOM Lie
We were told Virtual DOM makes React fast. It doesn't. It adds overhead. Svelte compiles to vanilla JS that directly manipulates the DOM. Result? 3x faster runtime performance.
2. The Ecosystem Trap
React's ecosystem is massive but fragmented. Need state management? Choose from Redux, Zustand, Context, or 47 other options. Need styling? CSS-in-JS, CSS modules, styled-components...
Analysis paralysis is real.
3. The Learning Curve Never Ends
Hooks, Context, Suspense, Concurrent Mode, Server Components... React keeps adding complexity. I've been using React for 4 years and still learn new gotchas weekly.
What I Wish I Knew Earlier
Performance by Default
// React: Manual optimization needed everywhere
const MemoizedComponent = React.memo(({ data }) => {
const expensiveValue = useMemo(() =>
processData(data), [data]
);
return <div>{expensiveValue}</div>;
});
// Svelte: Fast by default
<script>
export let data;
$: expensiveValue = processData(data);
</script>
<div>{expensiveValue}</div>
Built-in Animations
<script>
import { fade, slide } from 'svelte/transition';
let visible = true;
</script>
{#if visible}
<div transition:fade>
<p transition:slide>Smooth animations, zero configuration</p>
</div>
{/if}
Try doing that in React without a 200kb animation library.
The Migration Reality
"But what about the ecosystem?"
Valid concern. Here's what I found:
- Component libraries: SvelteKit UI, Carbon Components Svelte
- State management: Built-in stores (tiny and powerful)
- Routing: SvelteKit (better than Next.js)
- Testing: Vitest works perfectly
- TypeScript: First-class support
Real-World Results
Since switching to Svelte:
âś… Deploy speed: 3x faster
âś… Bundle size: 95% smaller
âś… Development time: 40% reduction
âś… Bug reports: 60% fewer
âś… Team satisfaction: Through the roof
The Uncomfortable Truth
React became the jQuery of 2024. Overly complex for most use cases, kept alive by momentum and big corp backing.
Meanwhile, Svelte just works.
No mental gymnastics. No performance optimization rabbit holes. No dependency hell.
Just write code that does what it looks like it does.
What's Next?
I'm not saying React is trash. For massive teams with existing React codebases, migration might not make sense.
But for new projects? Svelte every time.
The web development world is slowly waking up:
- GitHub's new dashboard: Built with Svelte
- Apple's developer docs: SvelteKit
- The New York Times: Migrating to Svelte
Try It Yourself
Don't take my word for it. Spend one weekend building something in Svelte.
npm create svelte@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm install
npm run dev
I guarantee you'll have that "holy shit" moment I had.
What's your take? Still team React or ready to try something new?
Drop your thoughts below 👇
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by shiva shanker
shiva shanker | Sciencx (2025-08-18T09:54:38+00:00) Why I Stopped Using React (And You Should Too) 🔥. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/08/18/why-i-stopped-using-react-and-you-should-too-%f0%9f%94%a5/
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